Banyana’s Jane to finally play in professional Serie A
Banyana Banyana and AC Milan midfielder Refiloe Jane will finally be deemed a professional after the Italian football federation(FIGC) said the women’s Serie A is becoming a professional league.
FIGC President Gabriele Gravina announced that the women’s game will be professional in Italy for the first time from next season. The 2020/21 Serie A Femminile season will start on August 22.
Jane will now compete in a league on par with the English Women’s Soccer League (WSL) and Spanish Primera Division in having an entirely professional division.
FIGC took control of Italy’s top women’s division in 2018/19, with reform to go professional having started almost two years ago.
“Introducing the topic of the development of Italian women’s football, president Gravina proposed the launch of a gradual project aimed at the recognition of professionalism from the 2022/23 season, upon which the Board unanimously agreed,” said the Italian FA in a statement.
“This prospect, in fact, was considered the best way to formalise an already urgent and much-needed step regarding the issue of equality, while also ensuring an adequate period during which to prepare the system and to wait for the implementation of decrees on this issue.”